


Price of Peace

by mricj



Series: Banned Together Bingo 2020 [3]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Rise of Kyoshi
Genre: Air Nomads (Avatar), Between Seasons/Series, Canon Compliant, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Missing Scene, Pacifism, Past Violence, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:08:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25096621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mricj/pseuds/mricj
Summary: The Air Nomads were pacifists. Avatar Kyoshi didn’t agree with them.(Written for Banned Together Bingo 2020).
Relationships: Kelsang & Kyoshi (Avatar)
Series: Banned Together Bingo 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1748488
Comments: 5
Kudos: 29
Collections: Banned Together Bingo 2020





	Price of Peace

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Pacifism
> 
> CW: Spoilers for the ending of The Rise of Kyoshi.

“Ah. Avatar!” Starting for her and holding numbers of papers in his hands, Monk Jinpa came out of the Southern Air Temple, and in the end, Kyoshi couldn’t say she was surprised. With a smile on his face, he approached her, and it was his turn to take a peek at the statue before continuing. “It’s up to your standards, then.”

“Better than I expected it to turn out,” She couldn’t deny the amount of care that had been put into it, and at the thought, Kyoshi admitted as she returned the smile. His need to please her starting to get to her or not, Pengpeng, aside from the statue, was one of the only things that reminded her of Kelsang and of coming home after a long time on the road.

“Ah. Well. The Council of Elders aren’t happy but--" Cutting himself off and bringing her back to the present, Monk Jinpa nodded, a humorous laugh caught on the back of his throat as he did it. Looking up from the papers in his hands to her, he smiled before adding. “-- You’re the Avatar. We’re glad to help.”

“So I’ve heard,” And at the thought, she sighed. Knowing about it, having Monk Jinpa admit it left a bad taste in her mouth, and her lips pursed, Kyoshi crossed her arms. Having Kelsang in her life meant more than she let on, more often than not. It meant the closest thing to having a family, to having a father, and if Kyoshi didn’t agree with their way of life before, she certainly didn’t agree with them now, after putting some thought into it.

Even if, for some time, the Southern Air Temple had been nothing but a safe haven for her, and violating the Air Nomad’s beliefs, going rogue or not, in the end, the statue was built because it was an order: an order from her, their Avatar.

“None of you think highly of him,” She had heard about it enough times through the years, and at this point, Kyoshi wasn’t asking. She was affirming it, and at the thought, Kyoshi found herself adding before continuing. “But Kelsang saved my life more times than I can count.”

Hadn’t it been for him placing her under his wings, making it to sixteen wouldn’t have been an option. Protecting her meant she had something, meant she had someone that cared, and if that hadn’t happened, one disease or another would’ve caught up to her. That, if hunger didn’t claim her body first by then, and it was nothing but a matter of time.

And before the end of his life, Kelsang saved her once again. For the last time, he traded his life for hers, and at the time, Kyoshi had been nothing but a servant. Weaker, and couldn’t even as much as lift a pebble.

“Hadn’t it been for this man?” Lifting her chin up, Kyoshi started, bringing out her Avatar Kyoshi voice out, and at this point, she was talking to herself more than anything else. With all of those thoughts coming back to her, Kyoshi added. “There’d be no Avatar to talk to.”

She didn’t give him enough time to answer. In fact, Kyoshi didn’t expect Monk Jinpa to, and, a beat later, she continued. “Ending most of the Fifth Nation fleet meant he saved countless others, too. All across the Earth Kingdom.”

“Sorry, Avatar,” Shaking his head, he tried (and failed) to smile at her. None of it made sense, and at this point, Kyoshi had lost him completely. Frowning, he continued. “I’m afraid I don’t understand--”

“-- The point is, Monk Jinpa: _pacifism_ doesn’t solve anything. It doesn’t help anyone. _Actions_ do,” She interrupted him, bringing up her Avatar Kyoshi voice, before turning to face Monk Jinpa once again. To this day, Kyoshi regretted not slicing Governor Te’s throat that fateful night. “And someday, pacifism is going to cost a lot from your people. _A lot_.”

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on [Tumblr](http://mricg.tumblr.com/) and [Twitter](http://twitter.com/mricjwrites).
> 
> Comments and Kudos are loved and appreciated!


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